I'm a caregiver for IHSS. There's W2 for each client. Each client/Employer has different client name and Employer's state ID number but all have same Employer id (EIN). Shows- remove duplicate W2's-?

Since the IHSS payments have the same EIN, you will have to add the amounts on the duplicate W2s so that you will be able to efile.  You will have to list the state withholding separately in the Box 15-16-17.  

If I list same state two or more times (Box 15-16-17) it would give another "duplicate" error. So I can't list the state withholding separately in the box 15-16-17.

Can you clarify which state it is?  I can look up the filing specs to see if there is a workaround.  @skysac

California

I have a question if you can help out.
Box number 15 (Employer's State ID Number) has the value 0, what should be entered in that case?
If I enter 0, Turbotax says 0 is invalid

You want to add all of the boxes that match on the w2s with the same EIN. Add together matching boxes to create one entry:

• All federal wages
• All federal tax withheld
• All CA wages
• All CA state taxes

The state ID must be a number registered with the state for the payer of the form. If the payer does not have a state ID, use their federal ID.

@Gunj2995

I can add the boxes on the W2s but how can I enter multiple State IDs? TT allows to enter only one State ID. Perhaps just enter any one of them?

You can add more states by clicking on Add another state. See the screenshot below:

@skysac

@AmyC 

 i have the same problem with my W2 forms for IHSS. Except that one Client has a state id number and the other 2 just have a 0. do i enter the state id number of the first client for the other 2?

Please follow the instructions that AmyC gave above, see below:

You want to add all of the boxes that match on the w2s with the same EIN. Add together matching boxes to create one entry:

• All federal wages
• All federal tax withheld
• All CA wages
• All CA state taxes

The state ID must be a number registered with the state for the payer of the form. If the payer does not have a state ID, use their federal ID.

@droopy302002

I have two IHSS clients. One of them I live with and the other one I don't. The W2 for the client that I live with has box 1 amount of 0. Should I still combine these as one W2 in turbotax?

If so, how do I combine the two W2s? What do I put for the Employer name since the employer names on each W2 are my client names? Do I need to put both clients name?

Thanks

Do not combine the W2's. Enter each separately.

TurboTax can exempt income under Notice 2014-7 per the IRS instructions for Medicaid Waiver payments from IHHS. This Notice provides that certain payments received by an individual care provider under a state Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Waiver (Medicaid waiver) program are difficulty of care payments and excludable as income. Additionally, you can choose to use this income to calculate Earned Income Credit. Regardless, the income will remain non-taxable.     

This tax-exempt income can be reported to you differently depending on the State and County you live in. You might receive a W-2, 1099, and no form at all.   

See the instructions below for how to report this depending on how the income was reported to you.  

If you received a W-2 with $0 in Box 1:  

1. Sign in to TurboTax Online, click Continue to your return, then pick up where I left off (if you are using TurboTax CD/ Download, then just open your return on your computer);     
2. Click on Federal Taxes, and then click on Wages & Income;     
3. Under Wages and Income, click Start;      
4. Click on Work on my W-2, and enter the information as reported on your W-2.     
5. After entering all your W-2s, you will see the screen, Let’s check for uncommon situations. Next to Nontaxable Medicaid waiver payments, check the box.  
6. You will enter the amount of Medicaid Waiver Payments into the box asking for the total amount of difficulty of care payment you received from IHHS. This will be the same amount reported in Boxes 3 and 5 of your W-2.  
7. When you get to the Earned Income Credit section under the  Deductions and Credits portion of your return, you will be asked if you want to add your Medicaid waiver payment to your income for this credit. You can try it both ways, including it and excluding it from the calculation for the credit and see which way benefits you most.  

If you received a 1099 or no form:  

1. Sign in to TurboTax Online, click Continue your return, then pick up where I left off (if you are using TurboTax CD/ Download, then just open your return on your computer);     
2. Click on Federal Taxes, and then click on Wages & Income;     
3. Scroll down to Less Common Income;       
4. Click on Start next to Miscellaneous Income, 1099-A, 1099-C.  
5. Click on Start next to, Other income not already reported on a Form W-2 or Form 1099;      
6. Answer Yes to Did you receive any other wages?;      
7. Leave blank the box for Wages earned as a household employee and click continue;  
8. Leave blank the box for Sick or disability pay and click continue;       
9. Enter the amount of Medicaid waiver payments on Certain nontaxable Medicaid waiver payments not reported on Form W-2, and click Continue.  
10. When you get to the Earned Income Credit section under the  Deductions and Credits portion of your return, you will be asked if you want to add your Medicaid waiver payment to your income for this credit. You can try it both ways, including it and excluding it from the calculation for the credit and see which way benefits you most.  

For more information, refer to IRS Notice 2014–7, 20144 I.R.B. 445 and the IRS FAQs.    

@CatinaT1 

Thanks for the reply. I initially inputted both W2s and used your first recommended method for my live-in W2. However, Turbotax gave me an error of Duplicate W2s during the review check because both the W2s have the same EIN. These W2s are both in California too.

How do I resolve that duplicate W2s with same EIN issue? I would like to efile my federal and California tax returns.

I believe this is the same issue that the original poster had. 

For one of the W2's, enter $1 in box 1. This will not change your result and will eliminate the duplicate W2 issue.

Hello, i help my parents as IHSS they both have the same EIN number

box 1 thru 6 show $0

per your recommendation on box 1 i enter $ 1

but the turbo still shows the message they found more than 1w-2 with the same information.

should i enter $1 on line 1 for my dad

and $2 on line 1 for my mom

thank you  

Hello I care for my parents at home , ihss provided me 2 form of w-2 same EIN  number

all the boxes with $0 except box 14 Ca-SDI it has different $ amount on each w-2. When I filed it doesn’t allow me to (turbo tax said duplicate information)

so what I did is on my dad w-2 , I  enter 1$ in box 1 instead of $0

and on my mom w-2 , I entered $3 instead of $0 in box 1

the sys accepted it with no error 

Is it alright to do this?

thank you

Myself has the same issue my dad w2 I entered $1 into box 1

my mom w2 I entered $2 into box 1

( my parents w-2 all the boxes come report $0

except box 14 CA disability show the different amount in $..

That's fine. You only need to change one of them to $1 and leave the other at $0. then they don't match.

thank you so much for your help, 

hope you can help me with another issue.

I own some share of limited partnership and they provide me K-1 to fill out every year

, my partnership ended in 2023 when I fill out the tax return. I select the "complete disposition" option.

and enter the purchase date and sale date, the next section is entering sale information.

I enter sale price.

but I am confused on the partnership basis box.

on the sale sheet it gives me 2 options

1 -(purchase price/initial basic amount) @9379$ (this is what i paid to purchase these partners few years back)

 2- cost basic $7463

which one is the correct on to fill out on section partnership basis

lastly on box ordinary gain on the sale sheet it gives me 2 option.

1- gain subject to recapture as ordinary income

2- gain subject to recapture as ordinary income     

which one is use for option ordinary gain

thanks

Yes, we can help.  The cost basis according to your notes should be number 2 - $7,463.  The cost basis fluctuates each year depending on income or loss and some other details. It appears they  have provided you your current cost basis.

Ordinary income that would be subject to recapture is any portion of the gain that might have been attributable to depreciation or other asset where you had deductions.  The partnership should be able to provide details as to whether any of your gain would be part of recapture as ordinary income.  If you have none, then you would leave this box blank. You did enter the same sentence twice, however my answer would not change.

@andyvu2002 

if I leave other at $0, they don't allow me to e file, have to mail in it.

so, $1 for first w-2 and $ 2 for second w-2 

are they going to audit me?

If you have a W-2 for IHSS difficulty-of-care payments with zero in Box 1, you don't have to enter $1. There is a workaround in TurboTax for this situation. The IRS is aware of the situation with IHSS W-2s. You might get an audit notice only if there is an amount in Box 1 that isn't reported on your return.

Many Forms W-2 issued for IHSS - IRS Notice 2014-7 income now show zero in Box 1, to indicate that it isn't subject to Federal income tax, but show the entire amount of wages paid in Box 3, Social Security wages. If you have an amount in Box 3, and you might qualify for Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, follow the instructions in this help article, which were recently updated:

The instructions in this help article, which were recently updated, direct the user as follows:

1. Sign in to TurboTax and open your return.
2. Select Search, enter w-2, and select Jump to w-2.
3. Enter all your W-2 info as shown on your form, except Box 1 (this is assuming that the W-2 Box 1 is blank or zero).
4. Enter the amount reported in box 3 of your W-2 in Box 1.
5. On the Let’s check for uncommon situations screen, select the box next to Nontaxable Medicaid waiver payments that qualify as difficulty of care payments.
6. Enter the amount of Medicaid waiver payments into the difficulty of care payment you received from IHHS box.
   • This is the same amount reported in boxes 3 and 5 of your W-2.
   • Your payments are nontaxable, but TurboTax uses this number to calculate credits you may qualify for.
7. When you get to the Earned Income Credit section in Deductions and Credits, we’ll ask if you want to add your Medicaid waiver payment to your income for this credit. You can answer based on what benefits you most.

If your Form W-2 doesn't include any dollar amount in Box 1 or other boxes, and the payments meet the criteria for exclusion, and you know you don't qualify for the Earned Income Credit or Additional Child Tax Credit, then you don't have to enter the W-2 on your return at all.

thank you, Monica.

since my both W-2 doesn't have any dollars amount from box 1 thru box 6

(except box 14 it showed $ amount for CASDI)

I will take your advice and don't have to enter the W-2 on your return at all.

appreciate for everything

The 2025 W2 now includes code "II - Medicaid waiver..." in Box 12a to indicate this situation.  With that indicated, TurboTax would not show the Medicaid waiver checkbox among the uncommon situations.  This is a correct behavior.  However, TurboTax still does not allow eFile when the W2 Box 1 is zero.  So entering $1, $2, $3, etc. still seems necessary to both all eFile AND avoid the complaints about duplicate W2.